The Six Minute Meatball

The Six-minute Meatball in Marinara with Cavatelli

Why start with a meatball? Well, for me it means home. It makes your house smell like home. They are calming and heavenly. They conjure up thoughts & memories of lazy Sunday afternoons as a care-free kid. Who doesn’t want to feel like a care-free kid every once in awhile? A simmering pot of marinara on the stove spiked with these round little wonders, YUM. Plus, it was my oldest son’s first experience with table food. Yes, I fed him a homemade 6-minute meatball. I wonder if my pediatrician would have approved. Oh well, I wanted him to have a wonderful first experience with food. I am happy to report that he was a one happy customer.

In any case, it is a recipe that I created with a lot of influence from my dad and grandma. I have updated the recipe with lean ground turkey and made use of a modern marvel, the microwave. Well, I guess this recipe is nothing like theirs but I did draw my inspiration from them, so to them I shall give credit. I am all about trying to create a sense of home in our little blue house, so the 6-minute meatball will be my starting point. PS. Dad, I left out the huge chunks of fresh parsley : ).

Ok, 6 minutes is the actual microwave cooking time of these scrumptious little pieces of ultimate comfort food. In reality, you will spend about 5-6 minutes to whip up a batch of these once you are proficient. And then finish them up in the sauce for about ten minutes. Wow, think about it: minutes for a homemade meatball that satisfies. Give it a try, it will be sure to please, or at least I am hoping so!

Before revealing my first recipe, I want to let you know the secret ingredient is more of a technique. This technique makes these meatballs the little wonders that they are. My husband, a foodie but not a cook, knows the mantra, “bread soaked in milk”. In my opinion, this is the key to a deliciously moist meatball. You can use this same trick to keep a meatloaf deliciously moist. Without further ado: the Six-minute Meatball.

The Six-minute Meatball

Ingredients:

1.25 pound package Jennie-O 93% Lean Ground Turkey*

1 egg

2 small cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese, I like a good Pecorino

1 slice whole grain bread, crumbled and soaked with milk (I like to use Brownberry Oatnut or Healthnut)

In a small bowl, roughly crumble one slice of whole-grain bread. I like oat nut but any type will do. Pour a small amount of milk over bread crumbles until they are just covered. Let stand for a few minutes until bread soaks up the milk. Drain, but do not squeeze. It should be wet. Dump the bread soaked milk into a bowl. Add all other ingredients. Mix well with hands until all ingredients are incorporated. The mixture will be on the wet side, but it will be easy to shape. Form into small round balls. This recipe will make about 20 meatballs. Place them on a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 6 minutes. You will probably need to microwave in 2 batches. That’s it. You are done. If you like, heat small amount of olive oil in deep saucepan and drop in meatballs as they come out of the microwave to brown slightly before adding your jarred marinara. Then simmer for 10 minutes. Or, if you’re pressed for time on a busy weeknight skip the browning and plop them in your favorite marinara sauce and let simmer for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors of the marinara and the meatball. Serve over any pasta.

After hearing about these for years, I’m glad I finally got to taste them. Absolutely delicious! The 6 Minute Meatball will become a staple in my family for sure, whether it’s on subs or with pasta. This can easily be made gluten-free by using a slice of gluten-free bread. Thanks Sue!

So Happy you enjoyed. We love them! Glad they are a keeper for you. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I love to get feedback.

Please report back when you make them with the gluten-free slice of bread. I’d love to know if the texture remains the same. I have many gluten-free followers. Better yet, drop off a sample when you try it ;). I love everything you’ve delivered. Your soups are fantastic and that pie: My oh My!

This means a lot as I know what a great cook you are. Thank you for dropping me a line and letting me know the 6-minute Meatball worked for you. I can’t wait to try Italian Wedding Soup with the 6-minute Meatball as you suggested. It looked delish. Perhaps a future post. Happy New Year my cooking friend. -Cheers

This coming March, I will have been at home for three years. What a blast it is! The time is flying by and I am now feeling the need to do something that is all my own. I have decided this will be it: suebthefoodie.com. I am a true believer ... Continue reading →

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